Natalija Katarzyna

I first saw Birce Akalay in 'As the Crow Flies' and got hooked on Turkish Netflix. 'Graveyard' first series was very difficult to watch at times as it shows such horrifying but totally believable violence, but I thought it was brilliantly done. Akalay is perfectly cast as the Chief Inspector Önem of The Graveyard, where all the unsolved femicides end up in a police basement. I love her in this role: tough, tattooed and impossibly gorgeous. She was good as news anchor Lale Kiran in 'As the Crow Flies' but the role never really allowed Akalay full 3D character as it was at times predictable and simplistic, Started watching 'Graveyard' Series 2 the other day and if anything, it is even better than Series 1. Although The Inauspicious Island was borderline horror with unflinching brutality. I then watched Series 1 again and actually I think I now prefer it over series 2 as the team are raw and edgy, all uncomfortable being stuffed in The Basement. The characters are all unique. What I like is there is never a truly happy ending, it is always bittersweet; today a triumph but so far to go. Hope to see series 3 if they continue.

I watched this by turning the language to French because it made it less annoying. Actually in French it is watchable but this idiot Emily massacres French so watching in English was too awful. Her outfits are grotesque and her friend Mindy gets more grating as the episodes roll on. Then after Emily's crashing idiotic ego means she 'conquered' Paris, she has the chance to move to Roma at end of series 4. Of course, she speaks no Italian and still has an amazing apartment and a handsome Italian lover. And a dream job. So why watch it? Well I love the character of Sylvie and her style and barbed comments. She is the saving grace in this grotesque drama. She wears beautiful clothes and has many lovers but how she has not pushed that infuriating Emily out of a top storey window, I don't know. In reality, having lived in Italia myself and speaking Italian but not to government level, you would end up in a dark apartment in a sketchy district where nothing works and no one cares, oh and being exploited in a hospitality job. If you're lucky. Then the dream lover turns out to be married with three kids and drops you after 3 weeks. I think lily Collins was fantastic in 'To the Bone' but not here.

Yes, I enjoyed this and I thought the characters were well developed. Monique was a great character, ex-dancer injecting cortisone to pose in high heels and Beth dancing on her injuries popping painkillers like candy. However there are a number of issues: a ballet based on Jack the Ripper? Seriously. I saw a brilliant ballet by Krysztof Pastor 'Dracula' which was absolutely stunning and had magnificent set and lighting as well as elegant and expressive ballet. But Ripper? Come on, no one would watch that trash and the ballet for that piece was so lousy. The Cassie storyline was good, a mystery attempted murder but when she recovers from her coma and fall at the end and thinks she will be a prima ballerina again. Only the most deluded would think this. She is fortunate to walk. The finale was a good twist though. Sicko director murdered and who did it? That was a nice touch.

I only watched Series 1 and at first I liked it with the unflinching brutality of a toxic ballet company and the fragility of Clare as the new dancer who is perfectly portrayed by Sarah Hay. However, I did stop watching as the brutal artistic director who hurls a bird nest full of baby birds off the window and other moments just made me sick; the incest storyline, while given context was absurd. Yes, it happens but really the harsh environment of the New York ballet company where ballerinas sleep with sponsors was enough to digest. Another downside to the series is the totally unbelievable pole dancing Clare becomes involved in. Daphne does it to fund her lifestyle but Clare does it for excitement. I need to watch it again to figure it out. I want to give it 3.5 out of 5 for now. I think the movie 'Black Swan ' already gave a dark glimpse into the worst of the ballet world but ballet dancers with good companies told me they hated it. Sure, the Bolshoi has had a reputation but not every dance company is so brutal.

The film I saw at the cinema when it was first released was so profoundly bleak yet a work of genius. The fact the grim post Soviet world of Lilja could be anywhere makes it even more powerful. How many girls are suffering every day? The saddest moment in the film for me was when Lilja runs away from the only person who could help; a Swedish police woman. She is so broken in every way, she cannot trust adults. The most disturbing scenes are with the men who pay for Lilja and brutally rape her; ordinary wealthy Swedish men on the surface. Like Lilja, you feel despair and darkness. It is Christmas Day when Lilja sees the greyness of the world and rejects it. Based on a true story of a 16 year old Lithuanian girl named Danguole whose story is heartbreaking to read. Lilja 4-ever is a film I have watched many times and it is as raw today as the first time.